Microsoft Copilot Review: Features, Pricing & Alternatives
Microsoft's AI assistant across Windows, Edge, Bing and Microsoft 365 apps.
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant. It began as Bing Chat in February 2023 and is now built into Windows, the Edge browser, Bing and the Microsoft 365 apps. It uses advanced models, including models from OpenAI, alongside Microsoft’s own.
The free Copilot app is a capable everyday assistant for questions, writing, images and web search. The bigger value comes when Copilot works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, where it can draft documents, analyse spreadsheets, build presentations and summarise email threads.
In 2026 Microsoft simplified its consumer offer: the standalone Copilot Pro subscription was retired, and premium Copilot features for individuals now come with Microsoft 365 plans, led by Microsoft 365 Premium.
Key features of Microsoft Copilot
- Copilot in Microsoft 365 appsDraft and rewrite in Word, analyse data and create formulas in Excel, build decks in PowerPoint and summarise mail in Outlook.
- Free Copilot appChat, web search with sources, image creation and voice on Windows, web and mobile.
- Copilot in Windows and EdgeGet help with what is on your screen, summarise web pages and compare information while browsing.
- Copilot Vision and voiceShare your screen or camera and talk to Copilot in natural voice.
- Business groundingCopilot for work plans can use your organisation’s emails, files and chats with enterprise security.
- Copilot StudioOrganisations can build custom agents connected to their systems.
Who is Microsoft Copilot best for?
- Microsoft 365 users who want AI directly in Word, Excel and Outlook.
- Windows users who want a built-in assistant.
- Businesses on Microsoft 365 that need enterprise data protection.
Microsoft Copilot pricing (October 2026)
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot (free) | $0 | Copilot app on Windows, Edge, web and mobile with usage limits |
| Microsoft 365 Personal / Family | Subscription | Office apps and storage with Copilot features and usage limits |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | $19.99/month or $199.99/year | Office apps, up to 6 TB storage for up to 6 people, premium Copilot features for the plan owner |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot (business) | Add-on per user | Copilot grounded in work data with enterprise security |
Copilot Pro was retired in 2026; individuals who want premium Copilot in Office apps should look at Microsoft 365 Premium.
Microsoft Copilot pros and cons
Pros
- Best AI integration with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Free app is capable and widely available
- Enterprise-grade security for business plans
Cons
- Plan structure has changed several times
- Premium features in family plans are limited to the owner
- Less flexible outside the Microsoft ecosystem
How to get started with Microsoft Copilot
- Open copilot.microsoft.com, the Windows Copilot app or Edge and sign in with a Microsoft account.
- Ask a question or upload a file to try the free assistant.
- In Word, Excel or Outlook, open the Copilot pane on a supported plan and ask for a draft, analysis or summary.
- For business use, ask your IT admin about Microsoft 365 Copilot licences.
Microsoft Copilot vs alternatives
ChatGPT and Claude are more flexible standalone assistants. Gemini is the equivalent choice for Google Workspace users.
If you mainly need notes and docs AI, compare Notion AI. See all options in our best AI chatbots guide.
Our verdict: is Microsoft Copilot worth it?
Microsoft Copilot is the obvious choice if your day happens in Microsoft 365. The free app is solid for everyday questions, while Microsoft 365 Premium is worth it if you want AI help inside Word, Excel and Outlook. Outside Microsoft’s apps, ChatGPT or Claude are usually more capable.
Microsoft Copilot FAQs
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
What happened to Copilot Pro?
Does Copilot use ChatGPT?
Can Copilot work in Excel?
Pricing and features change often. Details on this page were last reviewed in October 2026. Always confirm current plans on the official Microsoft Copilot website.
Best Microsoft Copilot alternatives
Character.AI
AI entertainment app for roleplay and storytelling with millions of user-created characters.
ChatGPT
OpenAI's all-round AI assistant for writing, research, coding, images and agentic tasks.
Claude
Anthropic's AI assistant, known for strong writing, long-document analysis and coding.
DeepSeek
Free chatbot from Chinese lab DeepSeek, known for strong reasoning and coding at very low cost.
Duck.ai
DuckDuckGo's private AI chat: use models from OpenAI, Anthropic and others anonymously, with no account.
Gemini
Google's multimodal AI assistant, built into Search, Android and Google Workspace.